Gibraltar: Authorities suspend port operations following oil spill incident Aug. 1

Event

Officials have suspended operations at the Port of Gibraltar as of Aug. 1 following an oil spill incident in the bay earlier in the day. The incident occurred at around 08:22 when the Panamanian-flagged vessel Gas Venus was taking on fuel. Authorities have reportedly activated an oil spill contingency plan and launched response operations. Police have confirmed that some beaches have been closed to the public in connection with the oil spill. Officials did not immediately confirm how much oil was spilled or when response operations would be completed; additionally, authorities did not immediately provide an estimated time at which port operations would resume.

Disruptions will almost certainly continue to affect the port as well as maritime shipping in the area for the duration of the response operations. Residual disruptions are likely once the emergency response concludes as operators work to process the backlog of goods. Road closures and ground transport disruptions are possible in the immediate vicinity of the port. Business disruptions are likely in Gibraltar over the short term due to maritime supply chain disruptions.

Advice

Prepare for disruptions to business activities dependent on freight shipping through the Port of Gibraltar; consider alternative shipping methods for critical cargoes.